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Social media companies are stifling freedom of speech in America. Have you seen the "Who's banned from Twitter and who's not" meme with Donald Trump and the Ta

Social media companies are stifling freedom of speech in America. Have you seen the "Who's banned from Twitter and who's not" meme with Donald Trump and the Taliban? Unpopular or non-conformist opinions are censored, and it's dangerous. "But it's private companies! They can do whatever they want!" The telephone companies are private. Do they have a right to kill your connection when you talk about unapproved subject matter? Twitter, Youtube, Facebook, and so on are the modern de-facto means of communicating long distance and to wide-spread audiences. "But it's dangerous to let these opinions reach the ears of the masses." Open discourse and trusting society to (eventually) make the right decision, given all available information, is something we've done (or attempted to do) in modern democracies. This is important.

j79 5y ago
> "But it's private companies! They can do whatever they want!" The telephone companies are private. Do they have a right to kill your connection when you talk about unapproved subject matter? Twitter, Youtube, Facebook, and so on are the modern de-facto means of communicating long distance and to wide-spread audiences. If I started robo-calling millions of people with unapproved subject matter, I'd wager they'd kill my connection fairly quickly.
- macinjosh 5y ago
  I am not convinved this is a logical metaphor. Robocalls directly bother every person on a list. A social media post goes to those who've consented (i.e. subscribed/followed) and other places the social media company decides they should go. I don't see what the two have in common.
- kats 5y ago
  It's a difference between banning behavior vs. ideas.
- NaturalPhallacy 5y ago
  >If I started robo-calling millions of people with unapproved subject matter, I'd wager they'd kill my connection fairly quickly. Except that they don't. Have you been called about your car warranty, or student loans yet today?

j79 5y ago

> "But it's private companies! They can do whatever they want!" The telephone companies are private. Do they have a right to kill your connection when you talk about unapproved subject matter? Twitter, Youtube, Facebook, and so on are the modern de-facto means of communicating long distance and to wide-spread audiences. If I started robo-calling millions of people with unapproved subject matter, I'd wager they'd kill my connection fairly quickly.

macinjosh 5y ago
I am not convinved this is a logical metaphor. Robocalls directly bother every person on a list. A social media post goes to those who've consented (i.e. subscribed/followed) and other places the social media company decides they should go. I don't see what the two have in common.
kats 5y ago
It's a difference between banning behavior vs. ideas.
NaturalPhallacy 5y ago
>If I started robo-calling millions of people with unapproved subject matter, I'd wager they'd kill my connection fairly quickly. Except that they don't. Have you been called about your car warranty, or student loans yet today?